La Vie Boheme
by MINDFREAK-DA-DRUMMA
Summary: A RentHarry Potter crossover fic. Read inside for full story summery, seeing as I tend to rattle on here, and probably won't be able to fit it all in.
1. Beginnings

**Full Summary:** The year is 1988. On November first, Remus Lupin's world takes a turn for the worst.. On suggestion from Dumbledore, Remus finds himself not only out of Canterbury and away from his normal life, but in a different country, with drastically different rules. Lead a double life with his childhood correspondence in New York, he finds another group of friends, and even love. But can even that last long, or will destruction follow him from England to terrorize while he attempts to fit in to the life of a Boheme?

Roger Davis, on the other hand, believes life can't possible get any better. He is in love with the perfectly ravishing April, living it up in a loft with his school friends Tom Collins and Benny Coffin, and fronting what may become one of the hottest rock bands in Alphabet City. When his oldest-friend-through-mail Mark Cohen writes to tell him that he's comming to stay for a while, it's just icing on the cake. Little does Roger know that his life is about to take a drastic turn, and it may not be for the better.

**Explanation:** Okay. I have alway had a Harry Potter fettish, Or, at least, I have had one since I was nine and I actually read the books. I have only recently fallen in love with RENT, after seeing the movie, watching the play in New York, and listening to the Soundtrack a billion times.

So, anyways, on the late night of September the ninth, or the way to freaking early morning of September the tenth, whatever, I decided to visit some of my rolplay sites as-believe it or not- absolutely nobody was on! Therefore, I reverted to the old classic: reading fanfiction.

I read some Harry Potter... I read some Rent for the hell of it as well. It was around then that I got the idea for this story in my confused little brain. By the time I was done the first chapter and it had gone throught my meager spellchecker, I realised that it was three thirty in the morning, and my reflection on the screen showed me I resembled something like a Panda Bear addicted to crack.

Okay, so all you fans of Harry Potter, and fans of Rent; (actually, if you're planning to read this, then your probably a fan of both like me) I'd like to say this. Please, please don't kill me for my ideas. I _know_ that you may think it's far fetched. I _know_ you may think I am utterly insane and sleep deprived. But guess what; I figured there may be one day when one of you is bored when you find yorself up at three Am, and this is probably for all of you.

This is the first chapter. The second will probably be up guarenteed tonight. Enjoy

Just one final note; bold italics above this story is the date, it'll change every so often, as it is want to do. I'm trying something new with this story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, many of you know this already. Howver, nor do I own RENT characters either, including April and Alison, who appears in this story, even though they technically wern't big in the play. Please don't sue me, because I am broke, and you will get nothing out of me except sad, salty tears.

------------------------------------------------------------

_**Novmber First, 1988.**_

This was the worst day of Remus Lupin's life.

"I'm sorry Remus, they're dead."

Sitting in Dumbledore's warm, comfortable office, Remus gripped the edge of his chair, trembling. He searched his old headmaster's face, hoping- no, _praying-_ for a sign that his mentor was not telling the truth, wanting to believe that the headmaster of Hogwarts was just being coy with him.

He could find none. Behind the half-moon spectacle, his aged face was wet with tears.

" They were found last night. Not even the house withstood the attack, Remus. Of course, by now, you'll have heard about Harry, though."

Remus nodded, a short, jerky thing. Harry Potter was the boy who lived. It had been in the Prophet that morning; the top story. However, he couldn't help but morn painfully over the loss of Lily and James. Two of his best and only friends. The parents who died.

"But...But how? Wasn't there any protection? Why them and not someone...someone else?" _Why was Harry still alive while his parents lay dead._

Dumbledore regarded Remus with something that seemed a mingled concoction of regret, pity, and...was it possibly a look begging for forgiveness. " I can't answer your questions, Remus. You will, however, find out soon enough. I called you here for a request, not to give answers."

Remus raised a shaking hand to his face, peering out through his trembling fingers, covering himself in case his own tears started to fall. "I'm not... I'm not going out to finish anything, Dumbledore. I can't... Not now, after them-" He choked on the words on his tongue, swallowed, but could not start again.

"On the contrary, Remus." Dumbledore said, passing behind his chair, escaping the twenty-one year old's view. "I would like you to take a... Breather, for now. I believe it best at the moment. Perhaps... Visit your parents... Leave London, have a vacation, whichever you feel necessary. Try to forget, for now."

Unbidden, Remus had an image of himself on a beach somewhere warm, reclining on a lawnchair while he tried to push the imaginary images of Lily and James' corpses along with the sounds of a crying baby from his mind. He snorted sarcastically before he could stop himself. Albus stopped somewhere behind him.

"I'm quite serious about this, Remus, you'll only dwell on it here. Besides, certain matters may pop up in which I'd rather you not be here to witness."

"What-" Remus started, but he was cut off sharply.

"I expect you to be ready to go late this afternoon. And I will be sure that you do leave, Remus. Find someone you can stay with. I'm sure you can find lodgings somewhere with family... Or I can certainly arrange."

Remus sighed, resigned. Even as Dumbledore spoke though, a different image crept into his mind. Of an old photo and a yellowed letter he had kept with him for a few good years, ever since he was seven, and after the... The incident.

"No, I know where I can stay for a while."

--------------

"THOMAS COLLINS? IF YOU EVER TAKE ANOTHER THIRTY MINUTE SHOWER HERE AGAIN I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR SORRY ASS!"

Draped in nothing more than a towel, April Ericsson peered out from around the bathroom door into the main room, her hair sopping wet and leaving puddles of water on the floor.

Tom leaned back against the couch and regarded April with a look that he may give to one of his students asking him a question he heard every year.

" Fair, but I want a trade-off. How's this: you ever take up the bathroom at seven A.M. for more than thirty minutes, then I get to take my early morning piss in your shoe closet."

Benny, who was sitting beside him on the beaten-up couch, choked on his coffee.

"That is disgusting." April grimaced, shaking her head and sending water flying.

"Hey...Don't do that, your hitting us over here. I've already showered, thank you."

"I know _that_. Seeing as there's not a drop of hot water left, probably in the entire frigging building."

"You know, it may not be just our fault." Benny gasped, finally getting ahold of himself. " Everything is connected in this building. That Spanish girl we're renting to upstairs has forty-five minute hot showers at six. You can here her singing in them." He took a sip of his coffee, and lowered the mug thoughtfully. "Of course, you may not have known that, seeing as six o'clock is your early morning screw Roger time, isn't it?"

April flipped Benny the bird and stepped back into the shower, shutting the door with a thump.

"Weren't you supposed to meet Alison already?" Tom asked as he raised his feet to place them on the coffee table.

" Shit! Yes!" Benny grumbled, jumping up quickly and almost upsetting his mug. "I'm not even dressed yet, Damnit! I told you to remind me!"

"And I did that just now, didn't I." replied Collins.

"Asshole."

"I really feel the love, Benny."

Brriing! The phone punctuated the air with a shrill ring, cutting off any retort that was comming back. With the skill of a long-jumper, Benny lunged for the phone (for there was a possibility that Alison was on the other end.) And missed it by an inch. Tom calmly pressed speakerphone.

A loud male voice filled the loft.

"Hello, is Roger Davis there?"

--------------

"Hello, is Roger Davis there?" Remus asked the phone. He stood in the middle of the muggle airport, two measly and harshly battered suitcases at his feet, dressed in his best muggle attire.

"No... Rodger's out scouting clubs at the moment."

"Isn't it seven AM. there?"

"Excuse me? What are you talking about? Better yet, who the hell are you?"

" Nevermind, different timezone. My name's...Mark. I'm a friend of Rogers." Remus ruffled a hand through his hair, smiling slightly at the use of his familiar, first- alias.

"Cohen?"

"That'd be me."

"Hell... He never shut's up about you."

A female voice, somewhere farther away and slight muffled, called in the background.

_"That's Cohen? Thank god! I though Cohen was, like, his first ex."_

The man he'd been talking to called back in answer.

"Named Mark?

_"It could happen."_

Remus chuckled. "Nope, just correspondence."

"Correspondence, hell, I didn't know Roger _could_ read."

"Anyways..."Remus added, hurriedly. A line for the phone was beginning to queue up behind him. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Dunno. Couple of hours?"

"You wouldn't mind giving him a message then, would you...er...?"

"Tom. And yeah, I'll tell him. What is it?"

"Tell him I'm comming for an... Extend visit, and that I'll contact him when I reach New York. Ask him if he'd mind me staying with him for a while."

"Hell, you won't need to ask, man. There's already four of us living here, one won't be too big an inquisition."

"Well...ask him anyways." Remus sighed. "Just in case. My flight's leaving soon, so I've got to leave."

"Got it. I'll tell him."

_click._

Picking up his bags, Remus hurried to his departure gate. Dumbledore'd been kind enough to help him afford the ticket, and any money he'd had was transferred not only into muggle money, but American. He closed his eyes. The only thing good about this trip ahead was that, at least for the flight, he'd be able to cry if he needed to, and not worry about being embarrassed about being seen by someone he knew.

For, except for his meager possessions. He was literal leaving everything familiar behind.

--------------

"So Roger has a correspondence, eh?" Benny called from the other room as he hurriedly began to get dressed.

"Sounds like it." Tom added. " Strange the things you don't know about a person."

"I want to know why you said it was perfectly fine for him to stay with us?" April scolded, now dressed in jeans and T-shirt and sporting her towel rap now on her head.

"Why shouldn't he." Quipped Collins and Coffin nearly simultaneously.

April folded her arms across her chest, flopping into Benny's unoccupied seat.

"Isn't it obvious. It'll be four men to one women. That's dangerous levels of beings who think only with their sexual organs."

--------------

Alright! First chapter in the bag! I would just like to add on the end, that if anybody was wierded out by Tom's when the Rent characters (a few of them) were introduced, or confused, then whatever, review, and I'll explain. I used it because I a) Could not think of anything else for the life of me and b) Because I figured I'd go from an experience. Yes, someone told me that once. Don't ask.

Secondly, I like to say if anybody is insulted by anything April says in this chapter or in upcoming chapters to come, I'd like to point out she is a fictional character to whom we only know three major facts about, and have no idea of her personality. I made her up based on a little picture that walked into my mind. She is not real, and she certainly does not share my views on certain issues.

Lastly, just to clarify some things with the plot and such. It is _not _the play or movie setting in Rent. Well, yeah, okay it is, but in this story, it is a year before the happenings of the 1989-1990 year. That means: Angel will not appear in this story as a major character. Benny is currently only due to be engaged to Alison Grey- which in my mind brings to mind the fact the maybe he wasn't an utter asshole at that time, and prehaps still living 'with the guys'. Mimi will be a minor kind of walk-on role, and we'll see her a couple of times: In fact, she was mentioned in this chapter, find out where. Maureen is currently not living with Benny, Tom, April or Roger, because, well, 'Mark's' not, and the only real reason I think she knew them was because of her relationship with Mark. Joanne, like Mimi, will only have a minor walk-on bit. Wan't more explaination, just email or something telling me what you want explained.


	2. Apperances

**Explanation:** Not much of an explanation for this chapter. I pretty much all clumped it into the first one. So, anyways, this is the second chapter! I am sorry that this one is shorter than my usual chapters; I whipped this one up after a loooong night of homework.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Rent, I have to deal with that. Those who wrote both of these literary masterpieces and created these characters are geniuses. Thank.

------------------------------------------------------------

As the light was fading behind the New York skyline, Remus stepped out of the airport cab and surveyed the city in which he'd only seen before in frequent postcards and family photos provided by Roger in their numerous letters. The buildings were bloody huge- it made some of the buildings in London look like dollhouses. Hell, the height of some of them made _Hogwarts_ look like a playhouse. To put it lightly, Remus was shocked.

"Excuse me, there's no place I could find a phone, do you?" Remus asked the cabby, before the man was able to drive away. He was answered with a rather irritated stare and waved his hand vaguely towards a booth across the street, before hitting the gas and speeding off.

"Ah-famous New York hospitality." Remus muttered to himself, as he crossed the road and dialed Roger's number again.

A slightly breathy female voice answered. "Hello?"

"Is Roger there yet, it's-"

"Oh, It's you. He's here, just a second." The was a lot of shifting on the other end, and someone groaned.

"Who's this?" Roger's seemed about just as breathy as the girl's had. He wondered if he'd interrupted something, and blushed deeply.

" It's Mark."

"Mark? Where the hell'er you calling from?"

" If you still live in the same place since you moved out of your parent's place, probably three blocks away."

"What are you doing in New York?"

It was rather obvious now that Tom had not conveyed his message. "Well... I've come to stay."

"Shit, why didn't you call before?"

"I did, someone named Tom answered."

Roger swore he'd do something to 'fucking Collins' that made Remus blush a little deeper. " It's alright, I can try and stay somewhere else-"

"Bull, your here. You'll just have the couch for tonight."

"S'better than the floor."

"Great." Roger went quite on the other end, as if he were thinking something over. " You wouldn't mind.. Mind waiting like half an hour though, would you? I'm a little... Busy at the moment. I can call Benny to pick you up, show you the sites a bit."

"Actually... I think I'll browse some of the shops around here, that'll give you enough time, right?"

"Yeah... but I'll have Benny come and pick you up to talk you here, anyways. You don't want to be walking around this place at dark if you don't know the area."

"I'll be fine. Besides, where'll he know to pick me up?"

"He'll find you. See you in about an hour." _Click._

"Hello? Roger are you? Damnit!" Remus swore into the phone. He didn't like the idea of being picked up by someone he didn't know. Not because he didn't trust one of Roger's friends, but because he didn't like to feel like he couldn't handle himself on his own, and be looked at like some sort of overgrown five-year-old.

But what could he do about it now?

Remus looked about him at the rather rugged buildings. Hell, he looked right at home here, in his rather worn muggle sweater and fraying jeans. He glance at his reflection in a cracked storefront window. What stared back at him left more, much more, to be desired. For one, he may be dressed his age, but he looked like he was forty-eight. Unfortunately, his condition and recent stressful conditions had begun to turn his sandy hair gray.

"Well Remus, you're here, with a clean slate. Why not jazz things up a bit?"

----------------------

"Five minutes later, in a rather shady bathroom at the back of a shop, Remus surveyed himself carefully in a smudged mirror. He had to admit, he could do some mean spellwork when he wanted to. Gone was the greys, and the sandy hair. It no longer hung in a shaggy mop nearly obscuring his eyes. It was spikily cropped back now, and a rich dark brown. A few more self-transformation spells to cover up a few facial and hand slash arm scars, remnants of moon nights, and he could actually passes for a twenty-one year old normal man. He smiled at his reflection. Even better.

Passing back through the shop he'd stopped in, trying to avoid the scrutinizing gaze of the storeclerk, he picked up a pair of glasses. Heck, Peter always said that he was probably the only intellectual person he knew he didn't wear glasses. He'd add them on to the ensemble. Purchasing the glasses, he put them on, and rushed back to the bathroom, striking a pose in the mirror.

There was something very familiar about the appearance staring back. It definitely didn't look like him now.

It looked like a James.

It was a James with square glasses, mind you, and brown hair. But he could have passed for his brother easily.

"So much for trying to stop thinking about them." He muttered to himself angrily, redrawing his wand from his Jean pocket. Pausing to make sure he got it right, he mutter the spell, and his hair lightened to a light straw-color. This looked even better, and it'd have the added bonus of hiding any greys he didn't catch in time when the shone through his disguise.

"Perfect."

He left the shop after a while admiring himself in the bathroom for a while (he hated to admit it, but he really, really did like looking this way- it was like he really wasn't Remus Lupin, unemployed werewolf and wizard. He just couldn't get enough of it.) Leaving the shopclerk scratching his head at the though that the man who's hair seemed to have changed color three times, before shrugging it off and blaming it on bad coffee.


	3. Conversations

**Explanation: Okay, this chapter will basically be one of my shortest as well. Prehaps I should have combined it with chapter two, but I really didn't feel like it. Enjoy, and much longer chapters are on the way.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or RENT. They belong to Jk. Rowlings and Johnathan Larson (May he Rest in Peace) They are the brains around the characters. Not me. Pity.**

**Chapter 3**

**An hour past. Two hours. Three.**

**It was now three and a half hours since he'd called Roger, and had been told that Benny, whoever he was, would be picking him up. He'd been sitting on the curb for three and a half hours. **

**It was times like these he wished he'd taken up smoking. At least it would have been something to do.**

**He'd called Roger's number six times in the past few hours, but there was no answer. He idolly wonder if he'd gone out, or if what he'd herd on the phone last time had escalated into a more serious endevour.**

**"Ack, no, Remus, don't think that... You really don't need to think about that right now." He mumbed, tapping his raw temple with an equally raw hand, as if trying to dislodge an image.**

**" Trying to cause damage?" Someone asked over his shoulder. Remus instinctively grabbed his wand, and turn.**

**The spokes of a bicycle glittered in lamplight cast from the nearest post. Flecks of bluish paint was practically crowded out by rust, and the fram of the entire thing looked a little bent out of shape. Following a ripped-jean pantleg upwards, he stared into the face of a shortish, tann-skinned man, who looked down on him with a smallish smile.**

**"Really." Remus replied to this. "Well I better stop. Don't want to add brain damage to my current list."**

**"You okay, man?" Bicycle man asked, his foot, which had been poised on the pedal, comming off to support the rest of the rider's body.**

**"Cold. Forgotten. I'm supposed to be waiting for a...a friend to come pick me up."**

**The grin grew wider. "Oh, so your waiting are you. When was this friend of your supposed to pick you up?"**

**"Four hours ago."**

**"That would explain why I've been out for three and you've been sitting here ever time I've come by?"**

**"Yep."**

**"You know where you going? I could help you get a cab there?"**

**"Don't worry. I wouldn't have anything to give the guy. "**

**" I could tell which direction to walk? It'll warm you up, at least?"**

**Remus was going to say no, but decided against it. Walking would be better than sitting a freezing his ass off, even if Roger'd advised against it.**

**" Don't know the address. It's an industrial building though."**

**" There's alot of those in this area. Sure you can't give me anything else to work with?"**

**Remus though for a moment. "I think it's somewhere up around Avenue B. "**

**"Ahh, that's easier then. I'll follow you there: I live in that area anyways."**

**"Uhh...thanks?" Remus replied, unsure if there was anything else he should say anything else, even turn back the offer.**

**"Don't mention it!" Bicycle man added, the beaming smile still ever-present. As he set off at a sluggish speed on his ten-speed. Against the last of his better-judgement, and his friend's words of caution, he followed.**

**----**

**"Mind me asking what you're doing here in Alphabet city?" Asked the man after two blocks of silence, tilting his head and looking to all the world like a dog who'd heard a curious noise.**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"Well, you're probably not a local, right? One, you had no frigging clue where you were going , which, isn't so strange, when you look at how a good deal of of people here tend to get eithr piss-drink or higher than a kite on a Friday night to celebrate. But locals, even invalid ones, pretty much no better than to be sitting on the curb at eleven at night."**

**"That obvious, was I."**

**"Moreso. But I figured I'd cut you a bit of slack."**

**"I moved here from London-"**

**"Ontario?"**

**"No, England. I'm visiting a friend for a bit. Things back home arn't so good. Needed a vacation..." He trailed off.**

**Remus started as a strange electronic beep went off from somewhere close by. The bike stopped for a moment, and the cyclist fumbled for something, swearing under his breath.**

**After a moment, the cylist started off again, speaking again, but hos voice sounding strange...almost weary.**

**"I know what you mean. But I don't understand why you'd come here for a vacation, of all places. Most people want to move out of here, not move in."**

**Remus recodnised the tone in his voice: it was one he usually used. " You being one of them, right?"**

**Though he could no longer see his face, a dry, humorless laugh reached his ears, and Remus could imagine the smile fading off his face. " Right."**

**"Are you alright?"**

**Now came a heavy sigh." Yes. As good as I can be, I guess. I just need time. It's supposed to heal all wounds."**

**Silence stood between them for a few moments, with only the clicking of spokes, footsteps, and the faint cooing of sleepy pidgeons to puncuate it. Remus bit his lip, but he broke the silence first.**

**" One of my friends used to say that time doesn't always work. I guess he's really right now: waited a little to long."**

**Silence. "This the friend you're staying with?"**

**"No, another one, back home, or her used to be..."**

**"Where is he now?"**

**" Tryllium graveyard in Wiltshire."**

**" Shit. Sorry man."**

**Remus winced. " He had a gone one though."**

**The harsh laugh was back, and Remus wonder why a sound like that could really come from the happy face he'd looked into under the streetlamps a few moments before. Just in case, he glanced over his shoulder as the man spoke.**

**" How could he have a good one? He's dead? It's not a good one when you die!" **

**Remus couldn't believe how the man had just spoken of Jame's death so bluntly. " You didn't even know him! You're right, he died. But that's all you're right about. He didn't give a fuck when he died, and he lived the way he wanted to. Therefore, it was a good one."**

**" But what if doing the things you want to do-"**

**"You just do them!" Remus nearly screamed, and he was a little pleased to see the man recoil. " Because if you don't you might as well be dead already!"**

**Remus stopped, fuming, as he looked up at the streetsign above. Illuminated in the crecent moonlight, he could make out the street name: Avenue B.**

**"This is my stop. Is there anything I could do for you?"**

**"N-no." The man replied. " I'm-I'm good."**

**Remus felt a odd satisfaction at the hesitation in his voice. It was as if he felt justified at defending James' words. As Remus headed down the street a way, he turned back, to see the cyclist once more, lit up by the streetlamp as the sign had been. His smile was not there, but nor did he look angry. He looked, perplexed, and he didn't seem to notice that'd he'd turned around, although it looked as if he were still looking at his diminishing and darkening form as he moved on. **

**Turning once more to the front, Remus turned to look at the street ahead and at the tall, dirty buildings around him. He didn't look back again.**


End file.
